Cord blood banking?

Wed Jul 04, 2012 9:03 am

Has anyone had experience with doing this for your child/children? Is anyone planning to do it for this one? I understand it can be somewhat controversial.
We are very set on doing it as BF's younger sister had an adolescence onset cancer that required a bone marrow transplant (she passed from a relapse 9 years later). No one knows what the future will bring and what the banked blood can be used for in the future as well as medical technology advances.
It seems relatively easy to do at my hospital. Just curious to know if others are planning to do it as well. It is somewhat expensive, but I am planning on presenting it as an almost "registry" option for family to contribute into versus buying gifts. I really cannot use a lot of baby stuff in a small apartment with a move across the world in the new year on the horizon, so this is the main gift i want!

Wed Jul 04, 2012 10:38 am

We are going to look into donating it to a public bank, but would not pay for it. My ob and pedi both don't recommend it because many of the diseases they are more likely to get you would not want to use your own blood and would need a different child's cord blood.

Mommy to twins
http://ifashley.blogspot.com
[/url

Wed Jul 04, 2012 12:53 pm

We did it with our DS and will be doing it again with this baby. I think most places have payment plans, I don't remember how much we paid since we did a one time payment and it was 4 years ago but we feel it was/is worth every penny. Having family help with the purchase is a great idea! It was very easy, they gave us a cooler bag that we had to bring to the hospital when I delivered and the dr/hospital did the rest. My understanding is that each cord blood bank works differently (depending on their proximity to your hospital/home, etc.) and I do know that midwives can also collect cord blood, too. : )

Dimitra

Thu Jul 05, 2012 12:32 am

I did not do this with my dd. But I seem to see advertisements for it everywhere, well at least in these baby forums and such.

I am not sure what the real benefit of this process is? I have never brought it up with my pedi or OB and I don't know if it is REALLY worth it to look into so I am curious.

Thu Jul 05, 2012 9:20 am

Is Private Cord Blood Banking Worth the Price?

Mojito - Here is an article about it that I read and my pedi confirmed it. Basically, the pamphlet that you get about it lists a ton of diseases cord blood can help with BUT it doesn't explain that a lot of them are genetic and your own child would not benefit from that blood at all, you would still need to use another child's from a public bank.

Mommy to twins
http://ifashley.blogspot.com
[/url

Thu Jul 05, 2012 11:16 am

Is Private Cord Blood Banking Worth the Price?

Mojito - Here is an article about it that I read and my pedi confirmed it. Basically, the pamphlet that you get about it lists a ton of diseases cord blood can help with BUT it doesn't explain that a lot of them are genetic and your own child would not benefit from that blood at all, you would still need to use another child's from a public bank.

That is helpful - and sort of what I had been thinking. I have never seen anything advertised by my OB office or discussed in any of my appointments, so I was not sure if it was just hyper aggressive marketing by the private banks or if this is really an opportunity I am missing out on.

I think I will be opting out this time again.

Thu Jul 05, 2012 12:31 pm

I am not interested by the banking at all. I do not believe the chances that it will be useful for our baby are worth it. I am totally for the donation tho, but DH is really set against it as he doesn't like the idea of a piece of our DNA floating around. I am not sure if he thinks people in China would try to clone us or Aliens would use it to find a way to destroy all Human Beings or something. I really don't get it.

Ludivine

Thu Jul 05, 2012 12:39 pm

I am not interested by the banking at all. I do not believe the chances that it will be useful for our baby are worth it. I am totally for the donation tho, but DH is really set against it as he doesn't like the idea of a piece of our DNA floating around. I am not sure if he thinks people in China would try to clone us or Aliens would use it to find a way to destroy all Human Beings or something. I really don't get it.

LOL! that's hilarious! Has he never donated blood before?

Mommy to twins
http://ifashley.blogspot.com
[/url

Thu Jul 05, 2012 3:24 pm

Nah, if he has to get a blood test he almost pass out, so doing it voluntarily is out of the question. He even has to turn around when I am getting a blood test and he is in the same room, delivery is going to be fun!
He won't donate his organs either. I guess we don't have the same mentality for that and i have some troubles understanding his point of view sometimes (i grew up thinking it was the most natural thing in the world, if you don't need it and it can help someone then do it imo). He does donate clothes and stuff tho, i have hopes for him.

Ludivine

Fri Jul 06, 2012 1:42 pm

This going to be touchy in our household and right now I have avoided the conversation .... until it was brought up this weekend. From what I understand it is going to cost like $20K+ for harvesting and storing 20 years. So if we do this with our first, I will feel obligated to do it for our second, third, etc. So we are talking a BIG investment that perhaps could be spent somewhere else. I don't want to be guilted into doing this so I need the right resources in front of me. I am going to read that article too (THANKS!).

My MIL brought it up this weekend and was basically "You are doing it, right?" like there was no choice or discussion. I need to speak with my DH about it but I'm leaning towards no right now. If someone wants to gift me the $20K then fine, but I want to be eduated on the subject. I think I'll chat with my midwives but if anyone has some articles (pro or con) on the subject, please share!!!

Very timely topic, thanks!

Sarah

Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:34 pm

I think it may be a lot more money in the US! From what I've read here in Canada, is that it will be about $3,000 or the entire 18 years. There is like a $1,500. Initial fee and then it is like $125. Per year. So much less of a financial investment/burden. And you can pay it all up front and get a discount.

I am in American living in Canada and the differences in healthcare costs are truly astounding! I've also worked at good jobs (at hospitals) and had great insurance in the US, but there was still always the costs of premiums, co-pays, deductibles, etc. It is so nice being here and not having to worry about any payment. And I am also reassured that any test or procedure I get is because the doctor knows it is important for my care, and that it doesn't have to be approved by a third party insurance company first.

I see the blood banking as a type of life insurance, we will donate it if we don't use it and that is good karma. I am also pretty sure that I would not go for it if it was $20,000 as the benefits and risks do not balance out.

Fri Jul 06, 2012 6:40 pm

Sarah, not sure if this helps your case or not...but also consider that if you have other children there is a good chance that they will be a match for each other for future treatment/donation needs (I.e. Bone marrow transplants that can be done from donors of any age). This may take away some of the pressure of feeling like you need to do it.

My child is very likely to be an only child, so this, along with the family history definitely plays into my risk/benefit analysis and decision-making.